Planning, Design and Construction of

Underground Infrastructure in Singapore

Ow Chun Nam
Director, Land Transport Authority

Underground Infrastructure in Singapore
Challenges
Site Investigation
Deep Excavation
Bored Tunnelling
Conclusions

Planning, Design and Construction of
Underground Infrastructure
Rail Network Expansion by 2030
RTS Link Between Singapore and
Johor
Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
315km, 90mins travelling time
Operational in 2020
Possibly part underground

High Speed Rail Link

Major Underground Road Tunnels
CTE: North Tunnel: 0.7 km; South
Tunnel: 1.7 km; Opened: 21 Sep
1991
Fort Canning Tunnel: 0.35
km; Opened 16 Jan 2007
KPE: Total tunnel length:
9km; Opened 26 Oct 2007
and 20 Sep 2008
Woodsville Interchange:
Total tunnel length: 0.69km;
Opened 28 Jan 2012
MCE Tunnel : 3.5km to be
opened at end 2013
Singapore Underground Road
System: underground road
tunnels
North South Expressway
Tunnel and Semi Tunnel :
12.3 km to be completed
around 2020
Transmission Cable Tunnel Route Overview
MARYMOUNT
THOMSON PIE
GAMBAS
SEMBAWANG
MANDAI
NS Tunnel
EW Tunnel
AYER RAJAH
NORTH
BUONA VISTA
HOLLAND
DUNEARN
RANGOON
MAY ROAD
INTERFACE
KALLANG
AIRPORT ROAD
TAGORE
ANG MO KIO
PAYA LEBAR
JIP Tunnel
BENOI
PIONEER
PESEK
WEST JURONG
ISLAND
Underground Infrastructure in Singapore
Challenges
Site Investigation
Deep Excavation
Bored Tunnelling
Conclusions

Planning, Design and Construction of
Underground Infrastructure
To provide sufficient ground and ground water
data
for a proper description of essential ground properties/
behaviour to plan the most appropriate construction method;
and
for a reliable assessment of characteristic values of ground
parameters to achieve a safe and cost-effective design
Continuous process for entire duration of project

Objectives of Site Investigation
Boreholes too widely spaced
To have more boreholes practical problems
Challenges Boreholes Spacing
Challenges MRT Tunnel
Tunnel Alignment
41m
65m
56m
58m
Potential JTC 2
nd
Link
Immersed Tunnel
PUB NIPE Tunnel
DTSS Phase 2 (Future)
Upper/Lower Limits
1.6km
3.2km 0.4km
PROPOSED JURONG ISLAND PIONEER
TRANSMISSION CABLE TUNNEL
Challenges Tunnelling under Water Bodies
BH-169
(GL-49m)
ABH-216
(GL-49m)
ABH-214
(GL-36m)
Tender stage : 4 Boreholes
Approximate Level of Rock Head
Ground Level
RL 102.7m
BH-214
FILL
N=0
M
N=0
F2
N=1~12
F1
N=7~19
G-V
N=41~86
G-I, II
N=76~100
G-III
R=20~80%
G-I,II
R=90~100%
E
N=9
G-III
N=54~67
ABH-215
(GL-66m)
Tender Design
Rock head level = 70.5m as per GIBR
Diaphragm wall depth = 32m
Shotcrete & rockbolt for lower shaft (in G-III/G-II)
Challenges Variable Rockhead
Deep shaft ~60m depth
Tender Stage Borehole = 4 nos
1
st
Stage Add Borehole = 5 nos
2
nd
Stage Add borehole = 10 nos
ABH-D-01
(GL-57m)
ABH-D-05
(GL-42m)
BH-169
(GL-49m)
ABH-216
(GL-49m)
ABH-D-08
(GL-31m)
ABH-D-06
(GL-42m)
ABH-215
(GL-66m)
ABH-D-04
(GL-67m)
ABH-D-07
(GL-62m)
ABH-D-02
(GL-43m)
ABH-D-03
(GL-69m)
Option-2
7m move
ABH-D-09
(GL-57m)
ABH-D-10
(GL-62m)
ABH-D-11
(GL-49.5m)
ABH-214
(GL-36m)
ABH-D-12
(No Rock head)
ABH-D-13
(GL-45m)
ABH-D-14
(GL-65m)
ABH-D-15
(GL-54m)
From additional SI
Rock head level (G-III) is much
deeper than original
Max difference in rock head
level (G-III) is 25m
Alternative construction
method is needed due to new
geological information
Challenges Variable Rockhead
Challenges Variable Rockhead
Option 1 To relocate shaft
7m
Challenges Variable Rockhead
Option 2 Original location
with redesigned shaft
GIBR
Rockhead Level
Commonly used methods
Electrical resistivity
Seismic refraction
Seismic reflection
Surface wave method
Geo-tomography
Geophysical Survey
More efficient and accurate methods are required
to determine
rock levels
depth of piles
to minimise risk of underground construction in
urban areas
Challenges
Underground Infrastructure in Singapore
Challenges
Site Investigation
Deep Excavation
Bored Tunnelling
Conclusions

Planning, Design and Construction of
Underground Infrastructure
Challenges
Deep Excavations in Soft Clay
without Ground Treatment
Deep Excavations in Soft Clay
with Ground Treatment
Ground
Treatment
Typical Station Excavation Depth
Deep Excavation Bras Basah Station
Singapore Art Museum
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
Bras Basah Rd
B1 Level
B2 Level
B3 Level
B4 Level
B5 Level
Connection SMU
Reflection Pool
Deep Excavation Bras Basah Station

Deep Excavation Bencoolen Station
Subway
NAFA Campus 1
NAFA Campus 2
Bayview Hotel
Plaza By The Park
SMU
NAFA
Campus
1
Slide 26
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Strand
Hotel
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H
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Hotel 81
H
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Somerset
Bencoolen

Manulife Centre
Bayview
Hotel
NAFA
Campus 2
New Devt.
NAFA
Campus 1
P
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s
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p

L
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k

Subway link to SMU
Project Challenges

1. Built-up corridor
-- close proximity to existing buildings
-- very deep station box (43m below ground)
-- thick layer of hard ground (boulders)
-- restricted working hours due to stakeholders
requests
2. Pedestrian walkway & vehicular access to buildings to
be maintained at all times
Space
Furniture
C936 Bencoolen Station
S
M
U

Bayview
Hotel
NAFA
Campus 2
New Devt.
Station
Footprint
Station Excavation DTL3
CROSS SECTION
BENCOOLEN STREET
4
3
.
2
m

Need for Horizontal Grouting
Top tunnel in
Marine Clay

Bottom tunnel in
OA
Existing Tunnels
Future Tunnels
Existing
Piles /
Barrettes
Transfer Beams
and Barrettes for
Underpinning
Cable Tunnel Deep Shafts
Utility building
(above ground)
Shaft
(~60m)
Adit
Tunnel enlargement
Cable tunnel
Soil/Rock
Interface
Deep Shaft Rock Fissure Grouting
Underground Infrastructure in Singapore
Challenges
Site Investigation
Deep Excavation
Bored Tunnelling
Conclusions

Planning, Design and Construction of
Underground Infrastructure
Phase 1/2 MRT Construction in 1980s: Greathead Shield with
hydraulic backhoe excavator or roadheaders / 1 EPBM / 1 TBM
Compressed air used extensively
Grouting done through the segments
Construction Methods
Greathead Shield EPBM (C301)
NEL: 14 EPBMs (2 Dual Modes), 2 Open Face TBMs
Face pressure and stability by controlling the extrusion of the
spoil through the screw conveyor and the advancement of
the machine
Automatic tail void grouting
Construction Methods
EPBM (C705) EPBM (C706) EPBM (C710)
Circle Line: 19 EPBM, 8 Slurry TBMs
Scanners / belt weighing experimented and adopted
subsequently
Slurry TBM used for sections with granite
Construction Methods
Slurry TBM (C854)
Slurry Treatment Plant
EPBM (C823)
DTL1: 3 EPBMs
DTL2: 10 EPBMs + 9 Slurry TBMs
DTL3: 19 TBMs
Construction Methods
EPBM (C902) Slurry TBM (C915) EPBM (C917)
Expansion of underground rail system constrained by tight time
schedule
Significant number of TBMs required over a short period of time
TBM manufacturing and delivering lead time critical
Client procurement an effective way to manage this
Possible cost savings from direct procurement from the TBM
manufacturers
Procurement of TBMs restricted to areas with homogeneous soil such
as Old Alluvium
Bulk procured 10 nos Downtown Line Stage 3 TBMs Novated to
successful civil contractors
TBM Bulk Procurement
10m
20m
30m
40m
50m
60m
70m
Deep Tunnels
Underpasses & Shopping
Malls
MRT System
Cable Tunnel
Common Services Tunnel
Deep Tunnel Sewerage
System
Underground Expressways
Sewers &
Gas Pipes
Source : The Straits Times, 11 Feb 12
Specifications beefed up
19 inch disc cutters introduced
2 x double compartment manlock required
Probe drills permanently mounted
Front midget drill provided
TBM Specifications
Permanently Mounted Drills
Page 39
TBM Front Drilling
Tunnelling through Tight Curves
75m radius
curve
Tunnelling through Tight Curves
Major underground facilities to be built in
Singapore
Challenges to the industry
New methods and technologies to address
the challenges

Conclusions
THANK YOU
MRT Network in Singapore by 2020
To match the design of soil improvement methods to
the groutability of the ground encountered
the targeted engineering property of soil to be improved
To have minimum disturbance to surrounding
structures
To develop new method and technology, e.g.
horizontal grouting techniques
Challenges